The Pulpit Commentary — Genesis — Section 301

tho.t the covennnt nlren<ly concluded wv.s ever (vide eh. ix. 16; xiii. 15). And I will about to be. carried into execution, and the be their God. Literally, to them for Elo- promise of e. son to be more epecilico.lly him (vide supra). aetermined os the offspring of So.ro.i (Keil). Ver. 9.-And God so.id unto Abraham, Thou And will multiply thee. exceedingly (vid6 -literally, and thou, the other party to the eh. xii. 2; xiii. 16; xv. 6). covenant, the antithesis to/ (ver. 4)-sho.lt Ver. 3 .-And Abram fell on hie fo.ce-in keep my covenant-literally, my covenant reverential o.we and worship (videver. 17; cf. thou shalt keep-therefore, thou, and thy eh. xxiv. 52 ; Numb. xvi. 22; Mark xiv. 35). seed after thee in their generations. Other o.ttitudes of devotion are mentioned (1 Ver. 10.-This is my covenant (i. e. the Kings viii. 54 ; Mo.rk xi 25 ; 1 Tim. ii. 8). sign of it, as in eh. ix. 12), which ye shall And God-Elohim, the third no.me for the keep (i. e. observe to do), between me and Deity within the compass of as many verses, yon and thy seed after thee ; Every man thus indicating identity of being-to.lked child among yon shall be circumcised. with him, saying- Literally, cirmtmci.se amo'TI/J, (or of) you Ver. 4.-As for me. Literally, I, stand- every male, the in£. o.bs. ',\IZI;:,, when it ing nlone at the beginning of the sentence stnnds abruptly at the commencement of o uy way of emphasis (cf. 2 Kings x. 29; Ps. sentence, having the force of a comman,l xi. 4 ; xlvi. 5 ; vid6 Ewe.Id's ' Hebrew Syn- (cf. Ewe.Id's 'Hebrew Syntax,' § 328 • C:e- tax,' § 309). Equivnlent to " So far as I am senius, 'Grammar,' § 130). ' concerned,'' or, " I for my part," or, " So far Ver. 11.-And ye shall circumcise the as relo.tes to me." :Behold, my coveno.nt is 11.esh of your foreskin. i17'"% a£po{3v<1rir,, with thee, and thou she.It be - literally, shalt become (cf. eh. ii. 7), or grow to (cf. eh. membrum praputiatum, from 'Jll, to L~ ix. 16)-o. father of many (or of a multitude ~aked, bare, hence to be odious, unclca n, ol) nations. unpure, wo.s regar<led nftcrwards o.s unclean Yer. 5.-Neither shall thy no.me any (Deut. x. 16; Isa. Iii. 3; Jer. i.v. 4), antl j9 more be called Abro.m,-Ab-ram, i. e. high here directed to be deprived of tho skin father (vide eh. xi. 26); but Abraho.m- covering its extremity, not because throtwh Ab-raham (in Arabic signifying a multitu<le); it sin first discovered its effects (Poole), n~d hence "the father of n multitude," as the origi.nnl corruption is still transmitted (La- next clause explains-for a father of many pide, Augustine), or to promote cleanliness (or n multitude of) nations have I me.de (Philo), or to express detestation of certain thee. idolatrous rites which were paid to it by the Ver. 6.-And I will make thee exceeding EgyYtinns Rn,l other heathen nations (Lyra, fruitful, and I will make nations of thee,- Ka~sch), but (1) ns n sign of the faith that n promise fulfilled in the Ishmnelites, the Chnst should be descended from him <lescendants of Keturah, the E<lomites, nnd (Lapide); (2) ns a symbolic representation of the Israelites-and kings (e. g. David and the putting awny of the filth of the flesh and Solomon) shall come out of thee. of sin in general (Calvin). Hence it served Ver. 7.-And I will establish my oove- e. variety of uses: (1) to J.istiugu.ish the seed nant between me and thee and thy seed of Abrnham from the Gentiles, (2) to per- after thee in their generations for an ever- petuate the memory of Jchovnh's covenant lnsting covenant,-literally, for a covenant (3) to foster iu the nation the hope of th~ of eternity (vide eh. ix. 16)-to be a God unto :Messiah, (4) to remind them of the <luty of thee, and to thy seed after thee. Literally, cultivating moml pmity (Dent. x. 16), (5) to be for Elohim; n formula comprehending to preach to them the gospel of n ricrhteous- nil Bflving benefits ; a clenr indication of the ness by foith (Rom. iv. ll ), (6)° to su~- spirituo I chnracter of the Abrnhnmic cove- gest the iden of n holy or n spiritunl seed ~f nnnt (cf. eh. xxvi. 24 ; x.xviii. 13 ; Hcb. xi. Abram (Rom. ii. 29), and (7) to foreshadow 16). the Christinn rite of baptism (Col. ii. 11, li). Ver. 8.-And I will give unto thee, and And it sho.ll be a token of the covenant- to thy seed after thee, the land wherein litemlly, jor a token of covenant (cf. eh. ix. thou nrt a stranger,-literally, of thy so- 12; Acts vii. 8 ; Rom. iv. 11)-betwixt me joui-ninvs (eh. xii. 9 ; Acts vii. 5 ; ,Heb. and yon. xi. 9)-all the land of Co.no.an (vicle eh. x. Ver. 12.-And he that is eight days old- 19),-for an everlasting possession. Liter- -litemlly, ancl the son of eight days (cf. ally, for a possession of eternity; i. c. the cl1. xvii. I)-shall be circumcised among enrthly Cnnnan should be retained by them you (Levit. xii. 3 ; Luke ii. 21; Phil. iii. 5) so long ns the arrongemont then instituted every man child-" 'l'ho foct that several should continue, provide<l nlwnys they com- times the circmncisiou of the maks only is plied with the conditions of the covenant ; c11joined mny point to tho legislntor's iuten- ancl the heavenly Cnnaon shouhl be the in• tion to excluJ.e thnt rite in the other sex, heritance of Abrnhnm's spiritual chihlren for though it wns -custom~ry cunong many  234 'l'HE BOOK OF GENESIS. [ell. XVII, 1-tf.